It was already late at midnight in New York City.

In a lonely and luxurious mansion in West Village, a petite young teen clothed in oversized white pajamas struggled on his bed, trying to reach the wheelchair.

It was the 16-year-old Myah.

The room's dim lighting illuminated Myah's delicate oval face, and his skin was fair and smooth, something that could evoke jealousy from many girls.

Myah has long, lustrous natural silver hair flowing down to his waist like the soothing water current that reflects the gracefulness of the moonlight—a thin eyebrow and butterfly-like eyelashes that beautifully complimented the pair of innocent greyish eyes that filled with hope. A cute and dainty nose with a delicate pink lip resembled the elegant petals of cherry blossom exhibit full of temptation.

"Fu...Fu... So tired, it's weird. The maids weren't working today while uncle's traveling on a trip."

"So I'm here, all alone again..." With heavy breathing, a slight smile emerged on Myah's face as he was finally able to get on the wheelchair.

Myah wasn't sad about being left alone; he was already used to it.

His eyes were sparkling like the brightest star in the night sky, and they were filled with hope for a better tomorrow.

Simply being able to perform a few simplistic movements, Myah already feels blessed and thankful with all his heart. It was something that he constantly yearns for in the past eleven years, being a vegetative person.

Eleven years ago, when Myah was five years old. A car accident has taken his parents away while leaving him bedridden. Because he doesn't have any other relatives, his uncle volunteered to take care of him.

For that, Myah was very thankful.

When Myah turned 16 years old, it wasn't until recently that he could slightly feel his limbs again.

Myah moved the wheelchair to stop by the open window and face outside with the controller. Then, holding the last memento from his parents, an exquisite black pearl attaching to a silver necklace, he closed his eyes and began to pray sincerely.

'Papa, mama, Myah is finally able to move again...Thank you for your blessing, I hope you two are happy in heaven...'

Plink!*

Unknowingly, tears formed on Myah's delicate face, and just like crystalline jewelry, they trickled down his cheek and tainted his pajamas.

"I...I will live happily, really, really happy, so don't worry." He muttered with a muffled voice.

The breeze of the hot summer night passed through the window, warmly embracing Myah's being as his silver hair waved slightly. Then, gently, he wiped away the tears falling with melancholy and controlled the wheelchair to turn around.

'It's hot, and my throat is dry. I should go and get some water before going to sleep again...'

It was already late, and the mansion was empty and dark, easily giving one a chill and spooky feeling. After sipping down a glass of water, Myah was planning to go back and rest, but he heard faint noises, drawing his attention.

At first, Myah was about to ignore the sound and head back, but the noise became increasingly louder. It was like the sound of a wooden cane hitting against the marble floor.

Nock!

Nock!

Nock!

'What is going on?'

'Is the maid coming back to check on me?' Myah wondered as there shouldn't be anyone in the mansion at this moment except him.

Sensing that the situation was unusual, Myah tapped the controller and moved toward the noise source. But, as his wheelchair passed through the long and gloomy corridor, he discovered nothing.

The place was dark and empty, and there was nothing out of the ordinary.

"Hello?!"

Myah calls out toward the empty hallway, but no one replies. Only his voice reverberated around the eerie mansion. Then, feeling a little nervous and convinced that he was just paranoid, Myah put a stop to his little adventure.

Although Myah could perform simple movements, it takes much of his energy. Finally, feeling exhausted, he decided to go back and rest.

However, the controller of the wheelchair abruptly stopped working.

Myah tried several more times, but it failed.

Suddenly, the wheelchair began to move on its own, heading toward the stairs leading to the lower floor.

"!!!"

"Hello? Someone help me, please!"

"Big brother Lucas are you back already? Stop playing! I'm scared..." Myah tried to call out to his uncle's son, Lucas, who would usually play a trick on him.

Seeing that the wheelchair didn't stop, Myah's countenance changed as he panicked. His heart began beating furiously like a war drum, threatening to collapse any moment.

Desperately, Myah tried to twist his body and get off the wheelchair, but he was left disappointed. His body was too weak, and it took a lot of effort to move. He also can't shake the wheelchair as it was specially built to maintain stability.

"Help! Please, someone!" Myah cried out loudly in desperation, but no one responded.

Instead, all that greeted him was the sound of his raging heartbeat.

As the wheelchair moves closer to the stairs, Myah cried out in hopelessness. The trauma deeply buried in his heart long ago began to resurface at this moment.

'It was a large truck that crushed my dreams and taken away my parents... I can remember everything...'

Reminisce about that moment, Myah felt a familiar pain come flooding into him ceaselessly, wanting to shred him apart.

In the blink of an eye, the wheelchair comes crashing down the steep staircase. The impact destroyed the wheelchair, and Myah was sent flying. He could hear the sound of broken glassware.

Feeling something unknown piercing his body, Myah fought for another breath as he could still slightly open his eyes. Somehow, maybe it was just an illusion, but Myah could see the silhouette of a shadow standing upstairs.

Recognized who it was, the corner of Myah's eyes moistened in great sadness.

'?'

'Uncle... Ethan?'

'Didn't you and your family go on a vacation?'

'So, why? Why are you here? And why are you...smiling?'

As Myah wondered while trying to hold on to that last bit of strength, blood kept flowing out from his wound and dyed his silver hair in vibrant red color. Although he wished to say something, the blood followed by a suffocating sensation prevents him from doing so.

'What is this feeling?'

'I have never felt more alive...each second were so precious...I...I wish I could appreciate it just for, just a little bit longer...' Myah could feel his consciousness quickly waning away, and he felt tired, incredibly exhausted.

"Myah, Oh Myah, you should have remained in a vegetative state and be my cute and obedient little nephew. Just like before, isn't it good?" Holding what seems to be a remote controller, Ethan whispered playfully.

"But even after all these years, you never give up and just have to recover, don't you..." He looked at the crying Myah and heaved a long sigh. "Tsk, Tsk, how pitiful... fighting for so long only to die when your hope was at its highest point."

"It's quite humorous, really. Don't you think it's funny too? Ku—hahahahaha!"

Myah wanted to look at the figure standing upstairs one last time, but he couldn't see anything aside from the vast and endless darkness.

'That's enough...please, don't say anything anymore...'

Myah cried sorrowfully inside, laying there powerless. He had already lost his senses. The blood in his throat no longer bothered him. He couldn't hear, couldn't see, and couldn't feel anything but an invisible hand tightly gripping his already fragile heart.

Tears of regret and discontent flowed down from his lifeless eyes and dripped onto the black pearl that was bathing in his blood. It began to glow mysteriously, illuminating the gloomy atmosphere.

The black pearl suddenly vibrated and levitated in the air while releasing golden runes and mysterious pictures as it began absorbing Myah's blood.

Witnessing this seemingly mystical scene, uncle Ethan who was standing upstairs, stood rooted on the spot and was greatly shocked. 'What? what is that thing?!'

At the same time, an ethereal and majestic voice rang out within Myah's mind.

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Feeling something breaking through the endless darkness and calling out to him, Myah answered half-heartedly in his last breath. He couldn't think straight while feeling the urge to close his eyes and fall asleep.

'If there is an afterlife where I could throw it all away and start all over again...Say...Can I be happy and smile?'

With his final thought faded away, Myah falls into eternal slumber.

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<...>

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In an instant, the black pearl sucked in Myah's soul before shining with blazing radiant and shooting straight into the sky. As a result, a gigantic pillar of light was created, briefly connecting the Earth to the Cosmic River for a split second.

When everything was over, more than half of the planet was destroyed, humans gained superpower, and animals mutated, but that would be a story for another day.